Ninth Day
by Impish-Lady-Valentine
Summary: A story of war: how it brought ten people together and tore them appart (Gen/Senshi pairing)
1. Default Chapter

Hi all! Thanks for your interest in my work. This is the first  
fanfic that I've written that I've ever shared with the public. No  
flames, please, but constructive criticism is very welcome (as is   
praise *heh*) Normal disclaimers apply, I certainly do not own Sailor  
Moon! I would also like to note that I'm a huge Gen/Sen fan, so   
there's gonna be a lot of that (all characters will make an appearance  
tho, this story doesn't really focus any one person)  
Alright, on to it!  
*************************  
  
One window was all that mattered in the solemn and colorless  
world. From it, a pleading green glow painted itself upon the callous  
snow which would offer no comfort, nor way of escape for her. Darkness cast  
blue phantoms against the pale ice, but darker shadows lurked in the  
alleyways and in the hearts of the men that slide through them like  
serpents. She slumped against the window ledge, blotting out  
the green light and shaking in sorrow as she gazed  
upon this new world, and could find no good in it. Each night, these events   
repeated; a sick dream that would not leave the miserable figure to rest.   
And yet, she held on, waiting and always watching for a   
sign...  
One night, from below her gilded cage, the shadow in  
the window stared in silence at the perfect white snow.   
There was a young tow-headed girl stumbling across the road  
with a determined expression on her flushed face. She shook fiercely  
in the frosty wind, and clutched a shoddy coat against her thin frame  
as she made her way through a forgotten street under her window.   
And then as if by magic, a dark angel appeared before her. The two  
looked at each other for a moment that made time stand still for   
all three players. The girl finally broke free of the young man's  
spell, and rushed past him as though she had been wounded   
by his gaze. As the tow-headed child hurriedly vanished in   
the whirling snowflakes, the figure raised up and smiled at  
the glowing yoke in the sky.  
Then perhaps there is hope...  
  
***********************************************************  
  
"General, I am angry with you."   
"A pleasure to see you again, Senator," he replied smoothly,  
removing his hat with a sweepingly romantic gesture and gliding into  
a seat before me  
I drummed my fingernails impatiently against the cool marble  
of my desk, carefully scrutinizing which words I would  
use next.  
"You make it very difficult for us to try and maintain peace,  
General Jadeite," I remarked icily. My eyes remained downcast,   
watching my fingers, a carefully bored expression playing on my face.  
"Since both armies have already mobilized and are simply awaiting the  
declaration of war, it makes it near impossible for we diplomats to   
come to any sort of peace treaty."  
"Senator, we cannot just back down now," he insisted. "In the  
event of an enemy attack, our strategy would be revealed, and our  
borders exposed."  
"I am not claiming to be an optimist, Genera-"  
"I never accused you of being an optimist, Rei," he retorted  
with dangerous eyes. I looked up, finally and closed my mouth for  
possibly the first time in my entire life. He was infuriating.   
He continued after a moment, keeping his gaze locked carefully  
with my own, as if making sure I followed every word he said. "You  
must understand...at this point, war is inevitable."  
"I still believe that we could realistically achieve peace...  
that is, if you would have the nerve to actually trust someone's word  
and take a chance on--"  
"This is war!" he chuckled. "I am not so much a fool that I  
would trust my enemy, Senator. Backing down now would be losing the  
war, not achieving peace."  
"I will not give up," I replied with my famous frosty stubbornness.  
"And I will not move my army," he said rising from his seat.  
An odd panic laced my gut at seeing him pat his hat upon his head.  
He turned to me one last time, bowed his head, and tossed a   
lopsided smile in my direction. He then swiftly turned on one heel  
and left the room, not waiting for the argument that both of us knew  
that I would supply.  
Something warm began to flood my body, starting at the tips  
of my toes and stretching nearly to my lips where I fiercely   
shoved it down and returned to less pleasant matters.  
  
************************************************************  
  
I took a breath before opening the door and striding in like I  
owned the place. She glanced up at me from her desk and her paper work  
but seemed uninterested in what she saw and immediately looked back  
down and continued. I couldn't help but smile. She was the only girl  
I could ever remember who didn't look at me with hearts in her eyes.  
It was refreshing and frustrating. From the moment I had first met  
her, she had become my challenge. While as I admired her   
indifference to me, I was determined to make her just like all of   
the other girls. I was determined to make that girl swoon when she  
saw me.  
"General, I am angry with you," she said quietly. I loved her  
voice. It was the deepest and most seductive sound that had ever   
touched my ears. There was a hidden sing-song tone in it, but for  
the most part she sounded as though she were trying to melt every man  
she spoke with.   
"A pleasure to see you again, Senator," I smiled lopsidedly and  
removed my hat, inviting myself to a seat.  
She began to tap her fingernails against the marble and pursed  
her lips together. I had come to the conclusion that she reminded me  
of some sort of cat--exotic and different. I was slightly disappointed to mostly just see  
a passionate anger reflected in her gaze. Our entire conversation went along like  
that. It was all very cold and practical. I just allowed my mind to shut off,   
and my mouth to go through the normal motions.  
"You must understand...at this point, war is inevitable," I   
continued slowly. I could see the fires slowly cooling in her eyes,  
and she leaned back a little in her chair, returning to her aloof calm. I   
hated to see her that way...calm and dull, the perfect diplomat.  
"I still believe that we could realistically achieve peace...  
that is, if you would have the nerve to actually trust someone's word  
and take a chance on--"  
I refused to let her finish, again. It was a constant struggle  
for power and superiority between the two of us. Thus far she had  
managed to beat me at my own game, but she would not win me over on the  
battlefield.  
"This is war!" I laughed at her for all of her naive hopes and   
dreams of peace, and for my temporary victory over her. This was   
something about her life that I could finally control... "I am not so   
much a fool that I would trust my enemy, Senator. Backing down now  
would be losing the war, not achieving peace."  
"I will not give up," she reassured me.  
"And I will not move my army," I said, rising, somewhat satisfied with   
the emotions that I had caused to arise in her today. I grasped my   
hat and slid it onto my head.  
I walked for the door, feeling that my goal was drawing closer.  
My mind shot a quick suggestion in my direction, and before I knew  
what I was doing, I found myself bowing flirtatiously to her. I   
smoothly rose and turned away, not waiting to see her expression or   
hear the spicy retort I could sense coming. I stepped outside the  
door and beamed at a passing maid. Her cheeks flushed pink and she   
hid all but her eyes behind a large stack of clothing that she carried.  
I sighed and longed for more.  
  
*******************************************************  
My uncle was not the type of man who simply walked up to   
receive you. His swagger was that of a cat: pompous, overly   
self-assured, arrogant as all hell, and intimidating. Each step he  
took was fluid and beautiful as his coat glided over his finely   
chiseled body. I saw him long before he ever saw me, and watched him  
maneuver his way through the throng of bodies. I couldn't fathom how  
this man's genes could be present in my own body. While as in a single  
step he held intense mystery and power; I remained dull and pale.   
I watched as an old pile of wrinkles tapped his shoulder and  
pointed in my direction. My uncle turned and searched awhile for me,  
while I still made no effort to be seen. After a moment he finally   
saw me, smiled and waved, and then began to push his way in my   
direction.  
Uncle Artemis was six years my senior, but looked as though  
he could easily be ten years younger. Due to his partial Venusian and  
Lunarian backgrounds (from his mother's side) he maintained a striking mane  
of long white hair that floated down his back like water. His cadet-  
blue eyes reflected more gray than anything else, and the color alone  
reeked of callousness. They were a startling contradiction to the  
rest of his boyish features that reflected his sometimes immature   
personality and easy smile.  
"Hullo Zoicite!" he bellowed. He placed a large and firm hand  
on my shoulder and squeezed it warmly.   
"Evening Artemis," I nodded.   
"I'm glad you could make it, I haven't seen you in months.   
Have you heard from your brother at all?"  
"No...not since I left Arendiare. I'm sure he's around   
somewhere being...solemn and mysterious."  
"I wouldn't doubt it," Artemis chuckled. He smiled and glanced  
over my shoulder for a moment. Artemis was a popular fellow and he  
wasn't terribly good about devoting his attention to one person. His  
smile grew at something behind me.  
"And you?" I cleared my throat, snapping him back into our  
conversation. "How have you been?"  
He turned so that he and I faced the same way and leaned in  
closer to me, again putting his large hand on my shoulder. He turned  
me to face the direction in which he had been looking and then pointed  
out at the crowd.  
"There she is," he whispered excitedly. "My own little pocket  
goddess, isn't she enchanting?"  
Without my glasses I wasn't really able to see anything but  
a huge clump of moving and breathing flesh ahead of us. I squinted  
searching for this "pocket goddess" but came up short and shrugged.  
"You didn't answer--"  
"Oh come on, Zoicite, you simply must met her...she's the   
finest bit of fluff I've ever encountered." He gripped my shoulder   
and steered me around through legions of pleasantly drunk and scarcely  
clad men and women.  
From the moment I first saw her, I knew that I immediately did   
not care for her. She was standing in a large crowd of people who were   
fawning over her and a smiling blonde. They all roared with laughter  
and swayed with drunken pleasure as the blonde's eyebrows raised   
suggestively. I could see the blue pixie glow red.   
The red color that flushed over her milky cheeks and breasts  
matched the startling red of her dress. It was short, fringed, and  
sparkled majestically in the moonlight. Her hair bobbed around her  
ears in soft azure waves with little red rhinestones and feathers  
twisting their way in the curls. Everything about her screamed out  
her rebellion against the traditional and fundamentalist ways of the  
world that I wrapped around myself like a security blanket.  
These new women that were polluting society seemed to   
materialize out of nowhere. As far as I was concerned, they were a  
black smudge on the once iridescent white of the upper class. They were  
loose and drunken party girls who were no better than common whores.   
I was not surprised that Artemis would be fond of such a disgraceful  
creature.  
Artemis again grasped my shoulder and nudged me forward a bit,  
until I felt that I may drown in a rather full and particularly robust  
woman's cleavage. I grunted in protest.  
"Zoicite, allow me to introduce you to my "pocket goddess",  
Minako Angeneuf," Artemis announced, with pride rumbling through his  
voice. I was shocked when I managed to glance up to see that it was  
the blonde that he was introducing me to. She smiled down at me warmly  
as I tried to straighten myself from where I had nose-dived into the  
large woman's dress. I immediately rethought my first reaction to   
these young women. There was something indescribably wonderful about  
this golden child. Just looking upon her glowing face made me feel   
strangely warm inside. My faith was restored in Artemis's judgment.  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady," I attempted as I finally  
found my voice.  
"So you're Art's little nephew. Not so little anymore, I see,"  
she smiled brilliantly at Artemis and I could see him literally melt  
under her sunshine gaze. "It is wonderful to finally meet you," she   
touched my hand with a gentle sincerity that gave me the feeling that  
I was the only man she had ever placed her feather-light fingers on.   
I took in a shaky breath.  
"And this little nymph is Ami Misu," Artemis broke in. I  
decided that because I had been so pleasantly mistaken about this   
golden vision, perhaps I should also rethink my initial judgments  
about the odd blue-haired girl in red.  
I turned my head away from Minako, feeling as though I had lost  
the sun for the rest of my life. The surprising sorrow that filled  
my stomach upon loosing her image, however, was quickly replaced by  
something new. While Minako may have been my day, I had just met the  
night.  
Her short black curls circled her sweet milky countenance. She   
reminded me of a dark version of the angels that soared throughout the   
stain glass windows of Terran churches. She was beautiful, serene,  
and utterly tragic.  
"Its a pleasure to meet you," I said slowly, watching her quick  
blue orbs study me. She came back from her survey to meet my eyes with  
a soft frown upon her painted lips.  
"Indeed it is," she replied with a liquid-smooth nod.  
"Minako and Ami are very powerful young ladies," Artemis went  
on, reminding me of his presence.  
"Oh Artemis," Minako protested, pushing his shoulder playfully.  
His smile grew and he nodded in my direction, but kept his  
eyes on Minako.  
"They are the inner senshi of the Lunarian Kingdom, guardians  
to the Princess, herself." The crowd began to press tightly against  
me, each person still trying to talk to the two sirens.  
"Oh, with all these people around I can hardly focus," Minako  
murmured lowly. "Could we move to a more intimate location?"  
I could have sworn when she said 'intimate' the world stopped  
for a moment and all I could do was stare stupidly into her captivating  
eyes. Before I realized it I was being guided (again by Artemis's  
large hand on my shoulder) down the hallway of a home of proportions  
that I could have never even fantasized about.  
  
  
  
He was an attractive man. That was the first thing that hit  
my mind as I saw Artemis guiding him in my direction. And then icy  
rush of fear flooded my system as I realized that this man was about to  
be in front of me, possibly conversing with me. I hated my cowardess  
but I was, indeed, frightened enough of the wispy-haired and dreamy-  
eyed lad to sprint off to the buffet table and curse myself for   
allowing Minako to dress me so outrageously this evening.  
It was his beauty that led me to not trust him. From many  
years of observation I had learned that men of good-looks were   
scoundrels with nothing more on their mind than a shallow romp under  
the covers and a quick and easily forgotten good bye. And tonight   
could not be a worse night for me to encounter such a devil. Not when  
I, too, looked the part of the fiery temptress. I was literally short  
of breath when he appeared in front of me, but his head was quickly  
(and hopefully accidentally) shoved down into the swooping neckline of  
a large tipsy woman. When I saw his face again it was flushed with  
embarrassment. More than being handsome, I decided that he was the most  
utterly beautiful creature I had ever seen. And that meant that he  
was also the most dangerous.  
His eyes were locked with Minako's, as I had seen many glazed  
eyes before. He looked upon her as any other young warm-blooded man  
would look upon the "goddess of love", but at the same time I felt  
their constant attraction to my friend was growing tiresome. I had   
never cared for any of her young suitors' attentions, for I had an  
amazing and wonderful man in my own life, but there was something   
about this occasion that just proved to annoy me slightly.  
I really didn't listen to any of the conversation, but   
continued to study Minako and this man's interaction, wondering what  
magic she possessed that bewitched men so. Suddenly, his eyes were   
upon me. I blinked in shock as his eyes found my own, but I quickly  
looked away, not even daring to give this rascal the satisfaction of  
knowing that I thought he was quite pleasing to look upon. Instead  
I looked down at his shoes before again meeting his eyes with a decided  
frown upon my face. Beautiful or not, he was a dangerous man and I   
was already taken, anyway.  
"Its a pleasure to meet you," he had said before I had looked  
down at his shoes. It seemed like it had been at least an hour before  
I selected my very delicate response, "Indeed it is," followed by a   
convincing nod.   
I hated that I did not have the talent of reading people's   
faces, as Minako or Artemis could. It made me more hesitant to trust  
anyone, and less sure of exactly what people were feeling. I could  
see that this young man was looking at me with a poorly-shielded   
expression glowing in his eyes, but for the life of me I could not  
even to begin to guess what it was.  
Artemis was continuing to brag about the two of us to   
continually impress his young friend, and I would float in and out of  
the conversation, my own thoughts mingling with his words. I watched  
with half-interest when Minako playfully pushed Artemis, and then   
leaned into him. His hand reached out to capture her, only for her to  
move just in time, never to have even known about his attempt to reach  
her. It was a shame to have so many men love her, but to never feel  
in such a manner towards them. Perhaps this new face to our circle of  
friends would finally weave its way into her heart. Artemis would  
hate himself for having ever introduced the pair, even if he has a  
wife of his own, who he probably did not truly deserve.  
I heard Minako say "intimate" and I could practically hear   
every young man's head whip around. The next thing I knew I  
was being guided down a long hallway covered in painting and   
murals that glittered like rhinestones. I was practically shaking  
as the handsome young man fell quietly in line next to me. I   
could feel my skin shift to the color of Minako's silly red dress.  
Tonight would certainly be memorable.  
  
*************************************  
  
End Chapter 1  
I wanna go ahead and warn you, although this is set in a silver   
mil. like time, its not exactly the by-the-book story. Also, I'm not  
getting different PLANETS involved. Think of everything as   
different regions and countries.  
Please leave comments in the box!!!!  
(ooooh, also, can anyone figure out what war this is sorta modeled  
after????) 


	2. Chapter 2

Hi there! I'm back! Can you believe it??? I'm terribly sorry it   
took me so long to get this chapter out--things have been so busy   
lately! I really appreciate everyone who reviewed my story! It   
means so much! *weep weep* And it really pushed me into finally  
getting the next part out ^.^()  
Kaze ~ Thanks for the suggestion! I know what you mean, it did get  
a bit confusing...I'm not planning on doing that as much in the future.  
I got a lil' carried away trying to see things from everybody's view  
point ^^()  
  
Ok...now its been awhile...so lets see if I can remember this ^.~  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Why is it that within the past 10 years the Lunarian army has  
been mobilizing?" I asked carefully. The mood of the room was as calm  
as the maroon that coated the walls, and the fire that glowed from  
behind a golden gate. I didn't want to sound at all suspicious of   
anything that these two celestial creatures were involved in.  
"Do you mean the senshi's training?"Minako asked as she rose  
a slim finger to her lower lip.  
"I suppose,"I replied with a shrug. "I had just heard that   
there was a bit of mounting tension between Terra and the Lunarians,  
due to the armies of each respective country mobilizing and forming  
alliances between the other countries."  
Minako sighed softly and nodded. Artemis leaned forward and  
nobly took it upon himself to defend the Venusian and Mercurian.  
"The senshi have always been in existence. Not only are they  
the Generals of the Lunarian Army, but they are also the personal   
court and guard to the Princess Serenity. That was a duty given to  
them upon the day of their births. The Senshi have been training for  
the past 15 years, so that they will be able to adequately protect  
their princess from anything."  
"And actually," Minako continued, "the Senshi have all been  
away from the moon for a while now. We've continued training on our   
own."  
"Our Lunarian General Jadeite began to build up the armies   
after the Fimbrke Incident. Jadeite's a rascal, but it was an under-  
standable decision, considering the damage the Terran's did..."  
"Well I suppose with the promise of war on the horizon he   
should be ready to take action," I agreed as I took a sip of my drink.  
A noticeable chill seemed to drape over the room at my words. I felt  
as though I may choke on the liquid that already sank in my belly as  
I wondered in dread at what I had said that had offended them all.  
After a moment of uncomfortable quiet Minako offered a very  
controlled response, "There is no PROMISE of anything. The fact that   
you are undeniably a Terran and I am a high commander of your enemy's  
army and we are sitting here enjoying each other's company proves that  
not all hope is lost. There is no promise..."  
I took another swig of my drink, wishing for the influence of  
the alcohol to make me a better conversationalist. I seemed to only  
be getting worse. There was silence again and I looked over to Ami   
who had not spoken much from the moment when I had first met her. She  
had that look on her face, like she KNEW without a doubt that I was, at  
this very moment, looking at her but she was determined to pretend like  
she was entirely oblivious to the whole situation. I didn't mind,   
because that made her easier to study.   
In truth, the only thing that I could gather from her current  
posture and expression was the fact that she was also effected by my  
remarks, and I was sorely aggravated at myself for saying anything at   
all. In hopes of making amends, I decided to offer another comment.  
"Well I suppose it is rather reassuring that two of the   
commanding officers of the Lunarian army are here at a party rather  
than on the frontline with their men."  
The moment it had escaped my lips I knew that it was a mistake.  
In my mind I saw myself quickly herding those words back behind my   
teeth were I could choke on them and slowly die in peace. Artemis gave  
me a looked at me like I was a child again, caught in the act of   
something terrible and humiliating.  
"I am to stay here,"Ami's quiet and melancholy voice shocked  
me enough to make my leg jolt a bit. I don't think she noticed. "I  
will go to the Lunarian palace and act as the first guard to Princess  
Serenity. I will also act as a healer to any high officials injured  
in battle. Rei will be fighting the war of politics from behind her   
desk. Minako heads out for the frontlines tomorrow, promptly at two.  
Makoto is currently living on the outskirts of a quiet town in the   
Terran region. Due to increased security and the closing of their   
borders, we are having quite a time sending her any information, or   
visa-versa. Her travel has also been halted. She is doing her best to  
make it to the frontline." Each of her words was crisp and precise. They  
fell into place and locked themselves down sharply and slowly.  
I could do nothing but look at her, dumbly. I knew I needed  
to say something--apologize, somehow make up for my stupidity. Yet,  
even in my mind I couldn't think out any rational sentences. The  
silence was deafening.  
*****  
  
It was much later that night that Artemis and I walked those  
amazing halls each carrying one of his favorite warm drinks. The long  
windows brought in a bluish light that made me think that the empty   
hall was somehow frozen over. Artemis had been unusually quiet for  
sometime now.  
"Are you worried about Minako going to war?"I whispered,   
raising the steaming cup to my lips. Artemis walked a little ahead of  
me, and I focused my attention on his now blue hair, pretending it  
to be his face.  
"Not at all,"he remarked nonchalantly. "Minako is a terribly  
amazing fighter--I certainly would never want to be in combat with   
that little spitfire. She has many sides to her, Zoi, and I'm sorry  
you could only met one of those sides tonight. She's actually quite  
the leader...very serious about her work...extremely good at what she  
does." I could tell his thoughts were all over the place. He was  
practically pacing.  
"Then why--"  
"It's her first war to actually fight in though,"Artemis   
remarked thoughtfully. I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and he turned  
and nodded as if agreeing to something unsaid between us. "Naturally  
the Lunarian kingdom is not going to trust an inexperienced eighteen  
year old to take the reins and led them all into battle,"he forced a  
half-hearted chuckle. "She's going to met the Outer Senshi. She'll  
sort of shadow them in battle, just until she gets a better handle on  
things. She'll make a fantastic general...if, provided, the war   
continues long enough."  
"Then you do believe we'll go to war?"I asked, almost wanting  
him to clear my earlier statement of any wrongdoing. He turned away  
from me to face a window.  
"My boy, war is upon us."  
  
*************  
  
  
The moon princess never wielded any power. She was just known  
and loved because she was beautiful and portrayed as being very kind.   
In truth, the princess was so well hidden from her people that no one  
could actually say they had ever seen her. Rumors floated through  
the countries that she was very beautiful, wise, and soft spoken--but  
then again, they could be confusing her with her mother. Oh their  
Queen was once a grand woman! Although...could she really be   
considered a Queen? She more a beautiful little figurine of the   
Lunarian King's. Selenity would run about his kingdom, never afraid to  
get her hands dirty. She was his mate, and she was a simple goddess to  
the people through her charity. So naturally, when their child was born  
the entire world rejoiced for the kind Queen and admirable  
King.   
Unfortunately, upon his death, their Queen vanished behind the   
castle doors, too busy with work,ruling,and stress to come touch her   
people's hearts. She was too fearful to allow her only child to take  
her place as the kingdom's sweetheart, and so Serenity remained locked  
behind palace doors.   
True, she held her mother's beauty and among visitors from  
other regions she was graceful, soft-spoken, and big-hearted.   
In the young girl's early years she was perfectly content to  
live her days in the glorious palace gardens; exploring and prying  
into everything that went on in the kingdom. Although, after being   
locked in the castle like she may break, the  
princess flared up with a rebellious streak in her teens. At court  
parties she laughed in her mother's face by getting outrageously   
drunk. She flirted with any man who came across her path. Sometimes   
she wore very revealing garments. She would frequently sneak out at   
night, but would never make it very far due to Venus being put on guard\  
outside her door after an episode where she had caused a terrible   
crisis in Terra that only Minako's manipulative words and charming   
smile could get the Lunarian kingdom out of.  
The next night's upcoming party would prove to be no exception  
in the princess's long line of mischief...and this time, Minako would   
not be there to help.  
*******  
  
Minako shielded her eyes from the blaring sun, which turned her  
hair into molten gold. The field that she peered across was covered   
in a fine-grained golden dust and tuffs of sharp grass. Several men  
dressed in the crisp Lunarian uniforms sprawled out amongst the dirt  
and grass, lazily pulling at weeds and combing their fingers through  
the soil. Upon her approach they raised droopy eyes and stiffened  
considerably upon seeing her. She paid them no notice, even as several  
stood to honor her arrival. Minako immediately jogged over to the  
cluster of senshi who reclined under a tent in the scoop of a crater.  
*Deep breaths Minako...*she reminded herself when she saw   
Haruka's sword grasp a moment of sunlight and gleam like fearful   
lightening. The outer senshi was a group of women, each more powerful,  
more beautiful, and more wise than she. The inner senshi desperately  
tried to carry herself with dignity, as she hoped no one would pick  
up her discomfort and out of place feeling. *I do not belong here   
among such great warriors...*one part of her argued as Haruka's   
narrowed gaze turned in her direction. *Don't say that!* she hissed  
back. *Don't believe that! You too are a great warrior! And you   
must not show them any doubt or weakness in you!*  
"Minako,"Haruka stated, making no effort to raise her voice.  
The others turned over their shoulders and from their various  
discussions to look upon the new party to enter their tent.  
Minako had never exactly been close with any of the Outer   
Senshi. However, the frosty chill that had slowly made its way up her  
spine as all of their eyes met hers gave her a terrible feeling of  
trepidation. Always before, there had been at least some attempt at   
warmth! She had never been received with such...hatred before.  
A foreign hand from behind clasped her shoulder in a familiar  
manor and tore Minako quickly from her current thoughts and shock. She  
whirled around to face this new presence, immediately expecting them   
to be some sort of threat.  
Her own features, mirrored in a male form studied her   
cautiously.   
"Etienne,"her eyebrows narrowed at seeing her younger brother.  
His boyish good looks were tainted by the infuriating lecturing   
expression which he wore.  
"Calm down, sister,"he scolded, flipping his golden locks with  
a toss of his head.  
"Don't tell me what to do,"she hissed back stubbornly, annoyed  
that her arrogant little brother could order her around.  
"You're in a lot of trouble you know?"he leered, showing her  
a dozen pearly teeth. Minako lifted his hand from her shoulder and  
slung it towards the ground impatiently, sick of feeling like she was   
being attacked by everyone on the frontline.  
"What the hell are you jabbering about,"she mumbled, walking   
away from him.  
"A dirty mouth to match a dirty whore,"he crowed. Minako   
paused with her back to him, her entire body going rigid.  
"What?"  
"Everyone knows about what happened with him, Minako. That   
night in Deararle...."  
She spun over her shoulder so quickly that Etienne thought her  
body might snap in two. "What are you talking about?"she growled in  
a voice that rumbled so lowly it seemed to vibrate in the air.  
"Mother and father know about how he told you that he loved   
you...and how you drank in those words...and how you begged for him  
like a harlot--"  
"SHUT UP!"she shrieked, again spinning away from her younger  
brother.  
"You're disgraced. After you return home mother, father, and  
the entire Venusian council is going to have their way with you.   
You are a disgrace to our family's good name," he continued. His  
face wrinkled in disgust. "A disgrace to the senshi...you'll be   
stripped of all of your duties...and promptly banished."  
  
*********************  
  
Alright....things will start to get a little clearer as we continue  
on...this story is feeling like a loooong one...  
Please forgive any spelling or grammer mistakes and reviews and  
constructive criticism are welcomed and appreciated!!!! *click that   
button, yo!* 


	3. AuthorsNotesPlease Read

Hey Guys!...errr...anybody out there? Okay, here's the deal, I've   
  
been tossing this idea for a manga around in my head for a few months  
  
now and I'm feeling like starting it out as a story and as the summer  
  
progresses getting down to the drawing of it. I noticed around here  
  
at fanfic.net you can't post original stuff anymore--makes sense, I  
  
suppose...so I went to fictionpress.net (I think that's what its called)  
  
to see about getting an account.   
  
As far as this story is concerned, I still know where I want to go with  
  
it, and what is going to happen with it, and I have random scenes--like  
  
even the last chapter...written. Fact of the matter is, I don't really  
  
feel like anybody *out there* is terribly interested in it, and that  
  
doesn't motivate me much to keep going with it. So...I'm thinking I'm  
  
gonna just give in to this other story I've been tap-dancing around for  
  
the past few months.  
  
If anybody is interested in checking that out then e-mail me or review  
  
me or something, and I'll post my username somewhere around here. Also,  
  
if anyone is interested in me continuing with this story, please let me  
  
know. I would appreciate it, and I would be far more motivated to get  
  
something on paper.  
  
THE END  
  
--V 


	4. IMPORTANTHey, I'm alive!

Wow! Hi! I was so excited to receive so many reviews...that last post really sounded   
  
stupid of me, and apologize for sounding so pathetic. I am still writing this story! I  
  
promise, I'm alive! Its been so ridiculously busy lately, that I have had a real hard time  
  
sitting down and putting out another chapter.  
  
Its coming reeeeeeeeeeeeal soon, honest.  
  
In the meantime, my muse ran away with me a bit and I put out a chapter of another (original)  
  
story on fictionpress. Please go check it out if your interested in my writing!  
  
I'm getting back the 9th Day right now!  
  
Thanks so much for the support!  
  
http://www.fictionpress.com/~glassplayground  
  
(go check 'er out!) 


	5. Chapter 3YES A REAL CHAPTER

Whhhhhhhhat? An update?! I was inspired...its been so long since I took a look at this,  
  
and I was actually looking for something else, but I came across it and decided, hey, why  
  
not post something? Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews--it is because of you  
  
that I have still kept this story on the back-burner...We're getting towards some of the fun  
  
stuff now ^.^ Please review me if you are interested in seeing more. Afterall, Christmas  
  
is coming up--writing time is gooood! I would also like to go ahead and warn you: The  
  
story does not ALWAYS move in what you would consider to be the ORDER of the PLOT. I'm not  
  
including something YET, that happens between the previous chapter and this one, but look  
  
for it in an upcoming chapter...just wanted to say that it may be a little confusing...  
  
But hey...that's sorta the point. I promise it will all sort itself out...If you have  
  
questions I'd be happy to answer them as long as they don't give away my master plan *triumphant  
  
fist pump* Alright, enough, its been long enough---ON TO IT!  
  
*********************  
  
It was midmorning and I looked like a wreck. I was wearing  
  
the same wrinkled clothing as the previous night when I had fallen  
  
asleep while reading a collection of short stories by the dim oil  
  
lamps provided by the Tareviede Inn. It probably also didn't help  
  
that I had been drinking a considerable amount the previous night when  
  
the owner of the inn had declared that his "live-in" had finally  
  
found a place of his own and would be leaving the grounds. Being a  
  
cheerful fellow with an odd sense of humor, he had thrown me a   
  
spontaneous going-away party, where I had enjoyed myself, thurily.   
  
My impossibly tangled hair tumbled down my  
  
back--unwashed and knotted, and my eyes were heavy and coated with  
  
a red haze. I was certain that I must have had circles under my eyes  
  
that would claim I had died the previous night, as well. Worse still,  
  
I had already been mistaken for a woman in the hour that I had been  
  
awake. I was carrying a considerable stack of delapadated books,   
  
notebooks, and sketches outside to wait to be joined by the remainder  
  
of my belongings when I suddenly felt an offensive hand land a merry  
  
blow to my buttocks. Horrofied and violated, I reminded myself that  
  
I simply MUST never do that to a woman.  
  
"Eh, honey-child, do you need a MAN to 'elp you with your  
  
silly 'eavy books?"a gruff voice crowed from behind me.   
  
Needless to say, I answered his question.  
  
  
  
I retreated back to my room and sat upon the bed which I had  
  
called my own for a month now. I had not corrected Minako when she  
  
had called me a Terran, even though I had been living in the Lunarian  
  
region for just short of a year now--finding odd jobs and sleeping  
  
where I could. This particular innkeeper had become a friend of mine  
  
over time, and so allowed me to stay as long as I needed to, for a  
  
reasonably lower price than most of his customers. I had finally  
  
earned enough to buy an embarassing shack in the heart of the  
  
Tareviede marketplace. I was just glad to be able to quite burdening  
  
the good innkeeper.  
  
I drifted around the room, my mind on other things, as I lifted  
  
the remaining traces of my presence in the room and began to walk   
  
towards the door. I looked down at some of the pieces of paper I had  
  
gathered and crumbled into a ball and recognized a creamy piece of  
  
parchment. I quickly unwrinkled it and leaned against a wall as I  
  
skimmed over the sweeping callegraphy.  
  
...a grand party held in Tareviede...I hear you are in the area, you  
  
simply must attend....I have a girl I want you to meet...."pocket  
  
goddess"...a friend...  
  
I sighed and let my hands fall to my sides. That Ami was   
  
something special, something different. More than anything she had  
  
reminded me of a sort of female version of myself. I could pick up  
  
slight gestures she made, the way she would never look me in the  
  
eyes, even her very speech. I wanted to see her again. I needed to  
  
talk to her and figure her out.  
  
"Ah, but our meeting was a flux anyway," I muttered to my  
  
heart which was weeping out love sonnets for the "friend" mentioned in  
  
Artemis's letter. A friend?! my heart was raving. She was the most  
  
important creature at that event! How can Artemis simply refer to  
  
that perfection as a friend?! Oh...but what I wouldn't give to be able  
  
to offer her the same title...  
  
"She's a very powerful woman," I reminded myself. "And who are  
  
you? And she's a social butterfly of the upper class. Despite her  
  
beauty, she's still one of those loose party girls..."  
  
I'm not sure I still believe that...another part of me agrued.  
  
She felt soft-spoken, traditional, and intelligent.  
  
"Things aren't always what they seem,"I replied, praying that  
  
no one was currently around to hear my mental tirade. "And its not   
  
like that matters. She's at the palace, guarding the princess. I've   
  
never even seen a palace...and I won't see her again."  
  
I folded the letter and slipped it into my vest pocket, then  
  
shut the door to my room, silencing all of my heart's plees in the   
  
process.  
  
******************************  
  
"And what an odd little war it was," Serenity mumured  
  
thoughtfully as she clutched a delicate glass of lemonade between two  
  
cautious pale hands, and raised it to her dusty-rose hued lips.  
  
"Mmm, well I'm glad its over,"Rei sighed peacefully as she  
  
leaned back on her elbows and began to shift the red soil of her home  
  
planet between her thumb and index finger.  
  
"I'm not,"Minako volunteered in a low and foreboding tone.  
  
Silence descended upon our tiny menagerie as we each considered what  
  
that meant for our usually abnormally high spirited comrade.  
  
Upon the conclusion of the stange little nine day war, the five  
  
of us: Serenity, Minako, Rei, Ami, and myself had decided to meet in  
  
Rei's homeland for a long needed reunion. I personally would have   
  
prefered that we had met in an area with a more cheerful and green   
  
climate, but under our current circumstances this place seemed the   
  
most safe and appropriate for our gathering. I dug my own chipped  
  
and broken fingernails into the earth's surface and sketched primative  
  
designs in the red dirt that polluted this region. The very air here  
  
made me uncomfortable.  
  
I tended to be most happy in lively and colorful places, where  
  
I fed off the energy of the world that surrounded me. The area where  
  
we currently resided, and the overall mood of our group was perfectly  
  
miserable.  
  
"What'll they do to you, Mina?"Serenity asked after a moment  
  
in a shy and innocent little voice. Mina's long blonde hair fell over  
  
her shoulders limply as she picked at loose threads on the blanket we  
  
all sat upon. Her eyes were hiden by the golden waterfall when she  
  
responded, "I am glad the war is over...I guess I just don't want to  
  
see what my punishment is..."  
  
"We all know what you meant,"Ami said reassuringly.  
  
"They probably won't do anything too terrible to me,"Mina  
  
replied with a small frown. "That little imp Etienne keep babbling   
  
that they were going to banish me..."she laughed quietly to herself for  
  
a moment and I wondered if perhaps she really questioned that her   
  
parents might actually carry out that threat. Minako's family didn't  
  
exactly have any sort of shortage on children.  
  
"Banish you?"Serenity repeated with wide eyes. "How could  
  
any one's parents do that?"  
  
I glanced over at the silvery-haired girl with knowing eyes.   
  
She couldn't understand a parent who would really put their foot down  
  
and severely disipline their child. She had grown up her entire life  
  
getting her every desire and it had made her selfish. Still, in Sere  
  
there was something undeniably loveable and good, and everyone saw it.  
  
No one could blame the princess too much for all of her flaws...I   
  
certainly refused to.  
  
"And why would they?"Rei fumed, her brows knitted together  
  
above boiling violet eyes, "I thought all Venusians slept around with  
  
whoever they pleased."  
  
Minako raised her thin blonde eyebrows. "Oh, so you're saying  
  
all of my people are whores?" Her face broke out into a good-natured  
  
smile upon seeing Rei's embarassment at her slip of the tongue.  
  
"It's not like that. It's just that I was suppose to have my first  
  
blood taken by a man of my father's choice. In a rather formal   
  
ceremony type occasion at that..."  
  
"Are you kidding?!"Serenity squealed, "That's just awful!"  
  
"Oh don't be silly,"Minako chidded, "Its tradition...I've been  
  
planning for it my entire life...it happens to all Venusian girls."  
  
"Well then what happened with you?"I finally spoke, my curiousity  
  
getting the better of me.  
  
Minako turned her surprised cornflower blue eyes upon me. She  
  
smiled gently after a moment before saying, "Its been too long since we  
  
all talked..."  
  
We all nodded and agreed and took a moment to pick at the food  
  
we had drug along before Minako began trying to explain the Venusian  
  
tradition of sex to all of us.  
  
"When a Venusian female turns 16, her first blood is suppose  
  
to be taken by a man of her father's choice," she explained slowly,  
  
watching all of our faces intently for our response. Upon Serenity's  
  
face she added, "it happens to all of us, its tradition."  
  
Serenity shifted uncomfortably before saying, "I thought the  
  
first time you...did that...it was suppose to be with a person that  
  
you really loved."  
  
"My people have different ideas concerning love and sex,"Minako  
  
responded with a slight shrug. My senses told me that this tradition   
  
severely bothered Minako--I knew how much of a dreamer and romantic  
  
at heart she was. The Venusian view of love was nearly nonexistent,  
  
replaced simply by a driving lust and ultimate cruel entertainment.  
  
"Anyway,"she continued, "My father had selected a man for me  
  
who would bring our family some fine land to the west of the palace.  
  
Should a child be conceived, the babe would be sent to live with a  
  
family incapable of childbirth...so you see, in this method there were  
  
no strings attached, there were no hopes of marriage, nor promises of  
  
love. It was just a quick and profitible way to ensure Venusian girls  
  
some experience, and no feeling of lose or sorrow at the end of their  
  
maidenhood. No Venusian girl, if she ever did chose to be married,  
  
would be a virgin at the time of wedlock. It...solved some problems  
  
that could have been particularly messy."  
  
"Sounds like auctioning off cattle to me,"Rei sneered. Rei   
  
hated men for the most part anyway...she probably wouldn't understand  
  
what Mina had felt, nor why she had done what she had.  
  
"So what happened?"Serenity pipped in eagerly. "Did you sleep  
  
with that man when you were sixteen?"  
  
"Don't be such an idiot!"Rei snapped, "She would have   
  
mentioned something that important to us at the time it happened!"  
  
"Wouldn't you?"I added, a little unsure.  
  
"He died, actually,"Mina responded, her voice echoing the surprise  
  
she had felt at the original time of his death. "There was some sort  
  
of accident at the mill he owned..."she grew quiet, thinking deeply   
  
about something far in the past. Her eyes grew dark with memory.  
  
"So then what should it matter if the man you were promised  
  
to was unavaliable to....do that...shouldn't YOU be able to pick the  
  
man?"Serenity propped her chin upon against two cupped hands as she   
  
lowered her weight down upon her stomach.  
  
"Mmm, no, unfortunately he had a son. But, the boy was only  
  
14 at the time of his father's death and had not a single sexual   
  
experience under his belt. My father refused to allow me to bed a   
  
virgin--and one so young at that, she it was decided I would wait two  
  
years, until the boy was 16--and until he had had the propper   
  
experience."  
  
"That is absolutely repulsive!"Rei spat. "The man you were  
  
suppose to originally sleep with had a FAMILY?! And they knew about  
  
all of this and didn't mind?!"  
  
"Rei, issues of loyality and love are different for Venusians,"  
  
Ami reminded her gently, with a apologetic smile in Mina's direction.  
  
Minako held no expression on her face. This was something she had   
  
grown up, and she knew she could not expect us to all understand it   
  
fully. Only Ami who had studied the Venusian culture for entertainment  
  
could slightly grasp at what it must have been like to have been raised  
  
in such an atmosphere.  
  
"So I gather that you never slept with the boy you had been  
  
promised to,"Serenity tugged at Minako's sleeve.  
  
"No."  
  
"Sooo...who was he?"Serenity's expression had shifted to sheer  
  
devilish glee. Minako's eyes closed for a moment in estasy, recalling  
  
what surely must have been some sort of glorious Greek God whom she  
  
had spent her first night with.  
  
All of us leaned in around Minako, eager for her to tell us  
  
about her dirty and terrible evil experience, eager for her to taint  
  
us and make us feel as though we had somehow shared in the event. It  
  
was just so deliciously wrong and perverse that all of us, even Ami  
  
were intrigued by the mere thought of just spontaneously giving our  
  
flower way to some handsome young man who swept us off our feet. In  
  
a way...I think we all envied Minako and her luck and misfortune.  
  
"I was at a party, you know how Artemis is always able to find  
  
the best little swarees in town. It was a week....maybe two...before  
  
I came and joined you at Taraviede, Ami," Minako added. Ami blushed  
  
deeply, as if somehow she had been involved in this sexual experience.  
  
Or maybe it was just the fact that she hadn't noticed the huge change  
  
in Minako after her maiden's blood had been split. I honestly believed  
  
there was no real change...except for maybe the slight smugness in   
  
Minako's tone as she told her story---as if she had been the first of  
  
us to be taken. I snorted internally at that idea.  
  
"And that was where I saw him..."she clutched her hands   
  
together under her chin and sighed dramatically. We all sighed softly  
  
along with her, each of us envisioning our ideal man standing before us,  
  
radiating his majesty and perfection at that party. "He was tall...  
  
and deliciously built,"she murmured scandalously. Serenity giggled   
  
quietly, and everyone's eyes sparkled. "And he was wearing a soldier's  
  
uniform...you know I can't resist a man in a crisp-clean cut uniform,"  
  
She nodded at me and I grinned back widely. "He was immediately by   
  
my side...flattering me and pampering me. He said that he had never  
  
seen a more perfect woman in all of his life and he was honored to   
  
simply be in my presence..." Chills ran up and down my spine as my   
  
heart longed for those words.  
  
Rei, however, destroyed our magical moment with a loud and  
  
obnoxious, "And you actually fell for that?!"  
  
"Oh Rei, your just jealous,"Serenity hissed back, her chin  
  
jutting out defiently at Rei. "Haven't you ever felt those butterflies  
  
in your stomach when that certain someone walked into the room."  
  
Rei stubbornly stared forward, her lips set in a firm line, "No."  
  
Minako, Serenity, and I all sighed in complaint and each chipped  
  
in our thoughts about how crazy Rei could be from time to time. I couldn't  
  
reason how anyone could hate men as much as Rei--or how she could possibly  
  
never wonder what it would feel like to be in love with someone and be  
  
loved back. That was the very thing that I longed for the most out of life.  
  
"Besides,"Rei said in a more subdued voice after a moment of our  
  
teasing and nagging, "that's what all men say. Its a trap."  
  
"Oh how would you know,"Serenity said, making a shooing motion  
  
with her hands in Rei's direction. "Continue, Mina."  
  
"Well, it was starting to get really late, and everyone at  
  
the party was either headed to their home, headed inside the glorious  
  
home of the person who through the event, or they were passed out   
  
amongst the flowerbeds. But....the time didn't effect my soldier or  
  
me,"she raised a slim finger and shook her head with a smirk playing  
  
across her face. "We were still holding a fantastic conversation  
  
about everything and anything...oh, God, and he was soooo beautiful."  
  
Rei groaned loudly in protest. Minako ignored it.  
  
"And then he kissed me...he was the best kisser I had ever had.  
  
And he tasted amazing...and he smelled amazing...and my senses were   
  
just going wild!"her eyes glittered and her arms waved about frantically  
  
as she tried to share the wonder of her experience in a way that we could  
  
understand. "I just...no...it just felt so...so amazing, so right, so  
  
good to be in his arms. We both knew that it was just a one night  
  
type thing and that we didn't LOVE each other...even though there was  
  
a lot of attraction there...but he was leaving for the war--and I gave  
  
him a going away present."  
  
"I don't understand that...that's not something to be proud of,"  
  
Rei shook her head. Ami was nodding along with her, slowly.  
  
Minako's eyes hardened over slightly. "I'm not ashamed of it."  
  
"Why'd you do it?"Rei asked.  
  
"Because I wanted to,"Minako answered with a choked laugh, "because  
  
I wanted him! People in my culture do this kind of thing all the time...  
  
my mother has had thousands of lovers."  
  
"I just don't think its a very honorable lifestyle,"Rei shook her  
  
head disapprovingly.  
  
"Excuse me, but had things gone the way they were suppose to, I   
  
should have been quite sexually active for two years now,"Minako folded   
  
her arms over her chest.  
  
"But Minako, you're such a romantic at heart...I would have   
  
rather envisioned you fighting your family to save yourself for the man who  
  
you truly loved,"Rei tried a little softer.  
  
Minako looked down at the ground. I could practically see the  
  
wheels turning in her head, and I wondered what was racing through her  
  
mind right now. I could see the stain of red upon her cheeks. She was  
  
ashamed, that was for certain. She had come to us, hoping to find her  
  
closest friends to confide in about an experience which had actually been  
  
quite wonderful for her, and we had approached it all along as though  
  
we somehow approved and were pleased with her for her decision, only at  
  
the end to lecture her and rub her nose in her mistakes. I was certain  
  
she would get enough of that from her parents, anyway.  
  
I felt somewhat guilty for the way Minako had just been   
  
treated. I could feel what she was feeling that night when she had seen  
  
that young man, and I could understand why she had done what she had--  
  
so spontaneously, so finally. It was in a moment of uncertainty and  
  
the feeling that she was somehow behind in her quest to womanhood among  
  
her Venusian friends--due to the fact that she had to wait two years  
  
longer to lose what she had never considered very precious to begin with.  
  
Being a romantic at heart, Minako felt the need to feel desired--I'm   
  
sure she felt downright starved for love and for the need to be held.  
  
And from experience, I knew that a handsome young man who said all of  
  
the right things at the right moment was all that it really took.  
  
In her eyes she had lost something that had meant nothing to her  
  
to begin with. She was suppose to be rid of her virginity--she had  
  
been raised all along to lose it painlessly without feeling, and quickly.  
  
Then, and only then could she seek out her own lovers and have her own  
  
romances that would surely only prove to disappoint her sorely in the  
  
end.  
  
I had felt the need and the pull for this sort of love and  
  
adoration from a man my entire life too...although the culture that I   
  
had grown up with was not nearly so laid back when it came to lovers.  
  
Monogamy was key...and virginity was precious. Unknown to nearly  
  
everyone (and most certainly my friends) I too, was a whore.  
  
Silence had littered our conversation for too long now. We  
  
were all lost in our own angry minds until Serenity bubbled in with a  
  
cheerful, "Lets move on to more pleasant matters, hm? Ami-chan, how  
  
is that charming young man of yours?"  
  
Ami's face again flushed a deep red and she lowered her eyes  
  
from all of our curious gazes.  
  
**************************  
  
"He won't be returning for awhile,"I heard myself say in a   
  
voice which I had never imagined coming from my mouth. I sounded so  
  
foreign and unsure. I wondered if I would be the next victim they would  
  
attack due to my relationship with a person of the opposite gender. I   
  
honestly believe much of the hostility that came about during our   
  
conversation over Minako's sexual status was out of a jealous and worried  
  
and confused frame of mind. Her culture concering things so dear to   
  
some of we senshi was just too absurd and different.  
  
"Why ever not?" Serenity cried out in a breathy and pitiful  
  
voice. I smiled softly and allowed my navy bangs to sweep over my   
  
eyes to hide them from one of my friends who would be capable of reading  
  
straight into my soul.   
  
"He was injured in battle,"I responded quietly, enjoying the  
  
way they all gasped in fear at the thought that my dear-sweet companion  
  
could be hurt somewhere. "Oh don't worry, he'll be just fine. He  
  
writes me often to tell me what is happening in his end of the world...  
  
The doctors just don't want to risk moving him right now, but they are  
  
certain he will heal completely. He is in good hands in Terra now, what  
  
with the alliance in full blossom,"I smiled at Rei gratefully, who   
  
returned my smile warmly. She approved highly of Jikoku. She said  
  
it made her happy to see me with someone so right for me.  
  
But that thought brought another to the surface for me. Images  
  
of Zoicite floated before my eyes, tempting me to no avail. I felt   
  
guilt well up from deep within my gut to be thinking about him at such  
  
a time. I glanced over at Minako, wondering if she had picked up on  
  
any change in my mood. I was terrified to see that she was watching me  
  
very closely with narrowed cool-icey eyes. She had met Zoicite too, and  
  
had seen the way he made my legs quake whenever he sauntered into the  
  
room. She had heard me choke out less-than-brilliant statements to him,  
  
and blush all sorts of shades no matter what sort of comment he made. Her  
  
eyes finally locked with mine and a slow smile like that of a cheshire  
  
cat lit up her face slowly.  
  
'You little slut,'she mouth at me with an exagerated wink. I  
  
buried my head in my hands with a soft moan that I prayed no one had  
  
heard. Then she DID know how often I thought of the dreamy eyed boy  
  
we had first encountered in Taraviede...  
  
"Ami? Oh I know how much you must miss him,"Serenity   
  
misunderstood my distress and I was grateful. My emotions involving  
  
a particular blonde-haired green eyed young man were uncomfortable and  
  
confusing for me. I did not have the strength to sort them out at this  
  
time. I was grateful that Minako did not bring the knowledge of my...  
  
affair...to the group's attention. It was a very kind gesture on her  
  
part, considering the way she had been treated for her escapades.   
  
However, when we were finally all bidding each other our goodbyes Minako  
  
slid up to me and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "I bet Zoicite misses   
  
Jikoku a lot too, huh, Ames?"  
  
My face felt hot and I knew I blazed crimson. A triumphant smile played  
  
on Minako's lips. At least she wasn't the only one.  
  
**************  
  
  
  
Alright readers---Do not fret...you may be wondering--what...wait, war? When did it  
  
end? Huh? What about that CRAZY party on the moon? Etc...  
  
All questions will be answered in upcoming chapters and things will start straightening  
  
themselves out, honest. But it would be great if you would leave some comments, questions,  
  
suggestions, and praise in the box, so that the next chapter doesn't come out sometime   
  
next year, huh?  
  
CLICK THAT BUTTON! Woot. 


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